LOOKING AHEAD TO MONACO

Circuit name Circuit de Monaco

First race 1950

Previous winners 

2016 Lewis Hamilton, 78 laps, 1:59:29.133s

2015 Nico Rosberg 2014 Nico Rosberg

History lesson The Monaco Grand Prix is one of Formula 1’s highlights. It takes place on the tortuous streets of the Principality and the intoxicating mix of glamour and history makes it one of the most prestigious races for drivers and teams to win. It was first run in 1929 and it featured on the inaugural world championship calendar in 1950, since when the track layout has remained largely unchanged

Time zone BST+1

Population 30,000

How far? Monaco is 641 miles (1,032km) from the McLaren Technology Centre

Getting there Practice for the Monaco Grand Prix starts a day earlier than at other races, which brings forward all travel plans. The trucks drove straight from Barcelona to the Principality after the Spanish Grand Prix on 14 May; the only late arrivals were the two MCL32s, which returned to the MTC after the Spanish Grand Prix. Team members fly from London Heathrow to Nice, where they transfer to the hotel by coach. It’s then possible to walk to and from the pitlane every day

Surprising fact Monaco and Indonesia share the same national flag. Both are red and white; the only difference is that the Indonesian flag is slightly wider

Local speciality Stocafi, a dish almost as old as the Principality itself. It’s a fish stew made with salt-cured cod and tomatoes

Weather Monaco gets more than 300 days of sunshine a year. It’s currently 25 degrees and sunny, and we can expect more of the same over the race weekend

2016 pole position Daniel Ricciardo, 1m13.622s

2016 fastest lap Lewis Hamilton, 1m17.939s (lap 71)

Lap record 1:14.439s (Michael Schumacher, 2004)

Tyre choice Purple Ultrasoft, red Supersoft, yellow Soft – the third time this combination has been used in 2017

Distance to Turn One 210m / 0.130 miles (shortest of season)

Longest straight 510m / 0.317 miles, on the approach to Turn One (longest of the season: China, 1.17km/0.727 miles)

Top speed 295km/h / 183mph, on the approach to Turn 10 (fastest of season: Monza, 350km/h / 217mph)

Full throttle 50 per cent (highest of the season: Monza, 75 per cent)

Brake wear Medium. There are 13 braking events around the lap

Fuel consumption 1.5kg per lap, which is low. This racetrack has the lowest fuel effect of the year

ERS demands Medium

Gear changes 48 per lap/3744 per race

Start time 14:00hrs local / 13:00hrs BST

Grid advantage Pole position is located on the inside of the track. The racing line is towards the outside, giving slightly more grip, but it’s only a short run to Turn One and the pole-sitter wants to be on the right-hand-side for Sainte Devote

DRS There is one DRS zone, on the approach to Turn One

Don’t put the kettle on…For the last two years, the race has been lost in the pits. Lewis Hamilton made an unscheduled pitstop from the lead during a Safety Car period in 2015, dropping to third place, while a delayed pitstop for Daniel Ricciardo in ’16 handed victory to Hamilton. Given the durability of this year’s wider tyres, it will most-likely be a one-stop race if it’s dry, and the pitstops will come at around half-distance

Pitlane length/Pitstops 301m/0.193 miles (longest of the season: Silverstone, 457m/0.283 miles). Estimated time loss for a pitstop is 22s

Safety Car likelihood 80 per cent, which is high. The lack of run-off around the lap means even the smallest mistakes can result in contact with the barrier. The resultant debris brings out the Safety Car, or the Virtual Safety Car, which was used for the first time at the 2015 Monaco Grand Prix

Watch out for…Turn Three. This blind 155km/h (96mph) left-hander, named after the French composer Jules Massenet, rises over a crest, making it easy for the drivers to out-brake themselves and run wide. If they get off the racing line; it’s easy to end up in the barrier on the outside

STOFFEL VANDOORNE

#SV2  MCL32-04

“Since Barcelona, I’ve been back at MTC in the simulator, and I feel ready and excited to head to Monaco. It’s the first time that I’ll be racing in my ‘back yard’, as it’s recently become another home race for me. It’ll also be my first time behind the wheel there in a Formula 1 car, but it’s not the first time I’ve driven on the famous Monaco circuit. I raced there in GP2 for three years, and also in World Series by Renault, so I know it pretty well and enjoy driving there. It’s one of those tracks where even if you have the best-performing car, but you’re a victim of bad luck in the traffic, it can affect the outcome of the whole weekend. It makes for really exciting racing for the fans, and anything can happen there.

“It’s also great to see Jenson back in McLaren-Honda colours and alongside me in the garage. Both of us love driving on this circuit and I hope it’ll be the best opportunity for us on track so far this season. I know both of us will also be keeping one eye on everything happening in Indianapolis, too, and hope Fernando can also enjoy a good weekend over there.”

JENSON BUTTON

#JB22  MCL32-03

“Monaco is truly unique as a track, and requires a lot of work to fine-tune the car and optimise the set-up for the narrow layout. It’s always a challenge – a huge challenge, for any driver – but a really exciting challenge, and has always been up there in my favourite races of the year.

“Although I haven’t turned a wheel on track yet in the MCL32, I feel well prepared. I know the track well, of course, and I’ve done quite a bit of work in the McLaren simulator already. I’m still fit, and I’ve been training probably more than ever, because I’ve had the time to focus on my triathlon preparation and competitions. I’m looking forward to working with the team again, and, as I’ll be on the other side of the garage this time around, I’ll do my best to look after the car for Fernando!”